Throwing mechanism



1 H. coNNELl. 2,171,623

THROWING MECHANISM Sept. 5, 1939.

4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 2, 1956 BY @M ATTORNEY.

Sept. 5, 1939. H. CONNELL 2,171,623

THROWING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 2, 1936 4 Sheets-Shea?l 2 INVENTOR. nwf'fA/cf/CaA/A/az.

ATTORNEY.

Sept. 5, 1939- L. H. CONNELL THROWING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 2, 1936 o o Y ,o

INVENTOR. CUN/VEL L ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to machinery for moving articles and more particularly to apparatus for applying a propulsive force to frangible articles.

Broadly speaking my invention is applicable to many manufacturing processes in which a stack or supply of articles are to be individually moved one by one from the stack or reservoir to another position in unstacked form. However, in order to simplify the explanation I shall, throughout this specification, refer specifically to throwing devices of the general type used in trap-shooting as a specific example of the type of article-movement to which my invention is broadly applicable.

In trap-shooting, or more particularly in skeetshooting, a series of stacked or nested targets, sometimes called birds, are individually placed on a ring mechanism and individually propelled into the air.

In a machine which automatically feeds individual birds onto a ring mechanism and automatically releases the bird at a given signal, great care must be exercised in order not to fracture the relatively fragile targets. In an attempt to solve this problem various yieldable ring mechanisms have been proposed, but these have not proven satisfactory particularly for skeet shooting in which is required a much higher degree of directional control and an ability to throw the target further than is called for in trap shooting. A positive throwing action is necessary as shown, for example in Patent No. 540,318, issued June 4, 1895, to A. N. Jenkins, and yet each portion of the birds movement through the mechanism must be so controlled and so cushioned at exactly the. right point, that at no point is the bird allowed to obtain enough momentum so that it will be fractured when the direction of movement is changed. This is particularly true in skeet traps which must, throw the bird sixty-five yards as contrasted with the forty-five yard trap shooting range. As a consequence, the bird is subjected to much higher stresses in Skeet shooting.

It is one of the objects of my invention therefore to provide an automatic throwing mechanism, particularly adaptable for frangible arti- .0 cles, in which the articles can pass from the magazine to the firing mechanism and from the firing mechanism to the point of delivery without being fractured in their passage.

It is a further object of my invention to pro- 55` vide an improved and positive throwing mechanism capable of imparting a considerable velocity to a frangible article.

A further object of my invention is to provide, in a throwing apparatus of this nature, improved control means for regulating the passage 5 of the article through the magazine, from the magazine to the ring mechanism, and for further `regulating the firing mechanism, these several controls cooperating to produce the desired type of throwing action without, however, fracturing the articles.

A further object of my invention is to devise a throwing mechanism the operation of which is independent of atmospheric conditions, one which automatically disposes of any particles of im- 15 perfect birds which may break in the machine and one which can be readily adjusted to vary the angle of elevation of the birds leaving the trap without, however, necessitating any adjustment of the magazine associated therewith.

Other objects of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a combined magazine and firing mechanism incorporating my invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, and illustrating a portion of the magazine,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the combined magazine and ring mechanism illustrated in Fig. l,

Figure 4 is a sectional View of a portion of the magazine and ring mechanism, the view corresponding in part to a section of Fig. 3 taken on the line 4 4 thereof and showing particularly a section of the delivery mechanism of the magazme,

Figure 5 is a section of a portion of the delivery mechanism taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4,

Figure 6 is a section of another portion of the delivery mechanism taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4,

Figure 7 is a side sectional view of the ring mechanism corresponding to a view thereof taken on a line corresponding to the line 'i-'l of Fig. 3 but showing the throwing arm rotated 90 from the position shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the firing mechanism illustrated in Fig. 7, and

Figure 9 is a sectional view, taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. '7, of a portion of the firing mechanism showing the firing or throwing arm.

Referring to the drawings, Ill-Il! illustrate horizontal frame members forming the base on which is supported a magazine and a throwing mechanism to be described, and II-II indicate main uprights attached to the members Ill-IB. A brace or angle iron I5 may connect the upper anism, which may be electrically actuated and remotely controlled, which releases single birds for gravitational delivery to the throwing mechanism.

The magazine comprises a pair of supporting angle irons I2-i2 bolted as at I3 to the top of the frame members Il and extending towards each other and upwardly, being joined at their point of meeting by Va plate I4 which has an upstanding flange IB which may be attached to the side wall of the traphouse or supported by a strut member (not shown) from the base I0 of the machine. l

'I'he angle irons I2 form a subordinate frame structure on which is carried a pair of angle irons I'I-II arranged as shown in Fig. 2 to form a support for the bottom side of a stack of articles I8 to be thrown, the angle irons II being curved at their bottom portions to provide for delivery of the articles I8 with their planes substantially parallel to the plane of that portion of the throwing mechanism on which the article is to rest.' The upper Yportion of the angle irons I'I extends in a substantially straight line upwardly making an angle to the horizontal slightly greater than the angle of repose of the articles I8 on thevangle irons Il. The angle of repose will vary with different birds, but at no time will it substantially exceed 40 to 45. Thus when a bird is removed from the bottom of the pile the entire stack slides downwardly.

Depending irom the angle irons Il are a pair of brace rails I9, the lower ends thereof being connected in4 supporting relationship to the delivery mechanism to be described. Straddling the stack of birds I8 is a U shaped brace member 2l, this brace being located adjacent the end of the straight portion of the angle irons I'I. Below this point the angle irons II are bent in a smooth curve in order to deliver the birds in the manner previously described. Supported by the brace member 2| and b-y the delivering mechanism, as at 2,2 is a strip or guide member 23,. Which is curved substantially concentrically with the angle irons I'I and together therewith forms a threefcornered guiding means for the lower portion of the stack of articles I8 within the curved portion thereof. This strip may be attached to the frame member I5.

Where the articles to be stacked are similar in form to the targets known to the trade as Blue- Rocks or White-Flyers, it will be found that there is a tendency for the birds to stack in a straight line, as shown in the upper portion of the magazine. This tendency must be overcome in order that the birds shall closely adhere to the curved sections of the angle irons I1. I have found that if the birds are allowed to remain stacked as they enter the curved portion of the magazine, there is a tendency for them to jam in the guide-ways and they will be released suddenly thus allowing the entire pile to drop through a substantial distance thereby fracturing the bottom bird. This tendency of the birds to stack may be overcome by spacing the guide member 23 from the curved portions of the guide rails I'I by an amount slightly greater than the chordal distance through the bird between the guide member 23 and the angle irons Il, but not sufficiently greater than this chordal distance to allow the birds to form a long stack and thus become wedged.

In practice I have found that a nested stack of four birds is the maximum which can be permitted without fracturing. Consequently the curvatures of the rails I'I and of the strip 23 are so arranged that a tangent to the rails of a length equal to the axial length of four stacked birds interferes with the strip 23. Thus the strip 23 is spaced from the angle irons I'I by an amount somewhat greater than the chord of the bird. In fact it is necessary to space these strips by an amount greater than this chord in order to allow free movement through the stack. I have found, for example, that a spacing suiciently close to prevent stacking of two birds is so close that the occasional imperfectly formed over-size birds will jam in the rack. The relative spacing of the curved portions of the magazine thus is `extremely important.

A further element of importance in the magazine mechanism described is the arrangement of the stored supply at an angle just a little greater than the angle of repose coupled with the short curved section. Thus as many as 150 birds may be stored in the magazine and the weight of the column falling on the bottom bird, as one is fed to the throwing mechanism, is not suliiciently great to fracture the bird. When the angle of storage is as little as 40 no fracturing results, but if the angle be increased to 60 a stack of 50 birds will often fracture the bottom bird. In my construction, however, the bottom bird carries the direct weight of less than a dozen birds, the balance being supported partly by the magazine so that the vertical force component is materially reduced.

As will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 4 the lower ends of the angle irons I'I carry eX- tensions thereof indicated at 24, these extensions preferably being formed of spring steel shaped to the circumferential contour of the bird. The lower end of the guide member 23 also carries a spring extension 26. l

The lower portions of the arms I'I and of the guide rail 23 are attached respectively toangle irons 2'I-27 these angle irons in turn being attached to and supporting a plate 28 to which is attached the delivery mechanism to be described.

The plate 28 has a central aperture 29 therein through which extend the spring fingers 24 and 26, the hole 29 being somewhat larger than the diameter of the targetsl I8, the spring fingers serving to guide the bird in the proper axial direction through the delivery mechanism onto the throwing mechanism, the sole function of the delivery mechanism being merely to control the axial movement of thebirds.

The delivery mechanism comprises a trap door device, which may be swung under the opposite sides of the bottom of the pile of targets and between the spring fingers 24 and 26, and a gripping or jaw mechanism adapted to engage the sides of the bottom bird, suitable operating mechanism being provided to regulate the movement of the jaws and trap doors so that these normally alternate in operation. Thus the jaws release their hold on the bottom bird just after the trap doors have been swung into operating position, the pile of birds then slides downwardly until the bottom bird rests on the trap doors, this amount of sliding normally being only the length of the axial flange on one target. In this position the next succeeding bird is opposite the jaws. The jaws are then closed, preventing further movement of the pile, and the trap doors are then slid back allowing the bottom bird to drop down on the throwing mechanism to be described below, the bottom bird being guided in its movement by the spring fingers in the manner previously described.

The jaw structure is illustrated more in detail in Figs. 4 and 5 in which 3| illustrates a jaw member carried in suitable guide blocks 32 and having a yieldable or resilient face 33 curved to conform with the contour of the flange of the target. Spring means 34 yieldably presses the jaw member 3| towards the pile of birds, the extent of movement in this direction being controlled by a locking stud 35 carrying adjustable lock nuts 3l which bear against the sides of an aperture in a locating member 3S fixed to the plate 28 as by screws 39. Thus the jaw member 3| may be moved laterally against the springs $4 in one direction, its movement in the other direction being adjustably fixed.

The second jaw member 4i, identical in every respect with the jaw member 3|, is urged towards the stack of birds by springs 42 and guided in its movement by guide rails 32. This jaw member 4| has a depending lip 43 through which extends a shaft 44 having a pair of lock nuts 48 thereon. The shaft 44 is attached to the core 41 of a solenoid 48, the wires 45 being a part of the electrical control circuit.

When the jaws are in engagement with the bird, as in Fig. 5, is seen that there is clearance between the lock nuts 45 and the lip or f abutment 43, to provide a delayed action between the solenoid and the jaws, the purpose of which will be brought out below.

When the solenoid is energized the shaft 44 is pulled in such a direction that the lock nuts 4E will take up the existing clearance and abut the depending lip 43, the jaw 4| thus being pulled away from the gripped bird. When the pressure thereon is relieved this bird, previously held between the jaws 3| and 4|, is released, inasmuch as the jaw 3|, being limited in its movement by the lock nuts 3l, cannot follow the jaw 4|.

The mechanism previously referred to as the trap door mechanism, the function of which is to support the pile of birds during the period of time when the jaws 3! and 4| are open, is supported by the plate 28 in any convenient manner. As shown, it is mounted on a second plate supported, as by spacing washers 52 and bolts 53, from the plate 28. The plate 5l has an aperture 54 therein registering with the aperture 29 in the jaw supporting plate 28, the spring ngers 24 and 2@ extending therethrough. Suitable guide-ways 56 mounted on the plate 5| serve to support and guide a trap door mechanism including a door 5l and a door 58, these doors having their inner adjacent ends curved to the contour of the birds or targets and so held with respect to the targets that a slight movement of the two doors towards each other will serve to place their inner lips in position under the bottom of the pile of birds.

This movement is accomplished by a link mechanism, associated with the solenoid 48, which comprises an arm 59 connected to the trap door 5l and extending laterally thereof below the plate 5|. A pair of links 6| and 62 extend longitudinally of the plate 5| to the other end thereof, the free ends of these links being connected by another link 63, the mid-point of the link 63 being in turn connected by a pull rod 54 to a shaft 56 connected to the operating member 4l of the solenoid.

A stud 6l mounted on the plate 5I carries a lever 88 having slots at either end thereof connected to the link 5| and the trap door 58, a spring 69 being so connected to the lever and the plate 5i, at 1| and 'l2 respectively, as to exert a force on the linkage tending to open the trap doors 51 and 58. This spring constitutes the door opening device opposing the action of the solenoid, but being insufficiently strong to prevent closing of the trap doors when the solenoid is energized.

The operation of the jaw and trap door mechanisms will be clearly understood from the above description taken in connection with the drawings. Brieily, however, the rst step is the energizing of the solenoid which rst moves the trap doors into closed position. This movement of the solenoid shaft lll' takes up the clearance between the lock nuts 48 and the lip 43, the further movemen-t of the shaft opening the jaws 3| and 4|. The pile of birds then slides downwardly in the magazine and between the spring lingers 24 and 26 until the bottom bird rests on the trap doors 51 and 58. This distance is usually equal to the axial height of Jthe edge flange of the bird, that is, equal to the thickness of the bird at the rim. The solenoid is then released, the springs 42 then moving the jaw 4| against the second bird in the pile. Movement of the jaw 4| is cushioned by the springs 34 which support the jaw 3| against the other side of the bird. Thus by cushioning both sides of the jaw mechanism, fracturing of the second bird is prevented, further releasing movement of the solenoid, occurring under the iniiuence of the spring 59, opens the trap door mechanism and the bird indicated at 13, in Fig. 4, slides onto the throwing mechanism brushing aside the ends of the spring lingers, this movement being accomplished under the influence of gravity, the distance through which the bird must fall being closely limited to prevent shattering of the bird.

In practice this distance should not be much more than three times the length of the axial flange on the bird. Although the retarding effect of the circumferentially arranged spring fingers tends to prevent excessive momentum if the distance be greater.

Next to be described is the firing or throwing mechanism, which comprises a throwing arm and suitable propelling and controlling means. This is mounted on a sub-frame which is adjustably carried on the base IU-I and the uprights II-I l, the adjustment permitting variations in the angle which the initial iiight of the bird makes with the horizon, thereby permitting variation in the angles of elevation at which it is desired to have the bird leave the trap.

The sub-frame comprises a cross member 'I6 and an axially extending frame member l1, the two being attached as by bolts 18. Brackets 'I9 mounted on the ends of the cross member 18 are pivotally attached as at 8| to the uprights Il. The adjustment in the mounting is provided by a slotted connection between the rear end of the member and a substantially upright supporting member 82 which is pivoted as at 83 to the base I', the slotted connection 84 permitting tilting of the sub-frame 76 and 'il about the pivots 8|.

A guard ring 86 extending circumferentially to the periphery of the throwing mechanism is attached at 81 to the brackets 'I9 and at 88 to the sub-frame member The forward portion of the frame member 'il is fitted with an axial and radial thrust bearing 89 in which is mounted a shaft 9| attached to be driven by a pulley 92 belt-connected to a motor 9.3 supported at the rear end ofthe frame the shaft 9| carrying the throwing arm 94. In Fig. '7 it will be seen that a cam support plate 99 is interposed between the bearing 89 and the throwing arm 94. The operation of the cam mechanism will be described more fully below.

The throwing arm 94, attached to the shaft 9|, comprises anvarticle receiving portion 97 which may be substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and a radially extending portion 98 having a substantially plane upper surface, the plane of the upper surface forming an angle with the axis of the shaft 9|, the purpose of this angle being to provide the bird with a rising trajectory as it leaves the trap. Variations in the slope of the radially extending portion 98 will result in variations of the acceleration imparted to the bird, and where the article to be thrown and discharged is particularly fragile the upper surface of the throwing portion of the arm may be curved radially, although for the purpose of throwing trap or skeet targets the surfaces may be plane.

The weight of the throwing arm may be counterbalanced by suitably arranged weights 99,

, The article receiving portion of theV throwing arm comprises a hollowed block member ||l|| having an open top which may be protected by a plate of tougher material. Preferably the block |0| is made of rubber or other yieldable and resilient material, the inner portion of the recess being conically shaped as at |93 throughout that half of the cup which is diametrically opposed to the throwing portion 98 of the arm, the conical taper serving to guide a bird Vin its downward fall from the trap doors intora position adjacent tobut not coincidental with the center of rotation ofthe shaft 9|. When in this position the centrifugal force acting on the bird due to the rotation of the arm shifts the bird radially of the throwing portion 98 until the bird assumes the position shown in Fig. 8 where it is held until the operator is ready to discharge the trap. When bird is apt to fracture, if it is less than this, the

birds will not be fired promptly when the firing latch is released. Y

The holding means comprises on one side a guiding arm and on the other a releasable firing latch. The guiding arm consists of a channel member |96 boltedV as at |91 to the throwing portion 98 of the thro-wing ann, the channel being filled with an inwardly extending strip |98 of yieldab-le resilient material such as rubber, which engages the bird inwardly of, and above, the outer flange. This strip, it will be noted, does not extend to the center of the arm but stops at the block IUI, the edge of the block being set back so that, with the outer flange of the bird in engagement therewith, the inner iiange 29 engages the strip. The releasable latch means may comprise a bell crank |99 carried in a vertical suitable bearing mounted on the side of the throwing arm 94, the upper portion of the bell crank carrying a pad l2 of resilient. yieldable material for engaging the side of the bird, the lower portion of the bell crank being tted with a pin H3 which extends downwardly to be engaged by the cam mechanism supported by the plate 96, a spring ||4 tending to ho-ld the bell crank in the position shown in Fig. 8 except when the bell crank is under the control of the cam. This spring also presents. a yieldable support for the bird when it hits the bell crank.

When the bell crank is positively rotated by control mechanism, to be described, toa position such that the pad 2 is out of the path of movement of the bird, the latter will, if the arm be rotating, ro-ll epicyclically along the rubber strip |08 substantially radially of the throwing portion 98 until it reaches the end thereof, atY which time the bird will leave the machine travelling in a trajectory the elevation of which is. determined by the vertical acceleration given to the bird and the horizontal direction of which is determined both by the time at which the pad i i2 is moved out of the path of the bird and by the rate of rotation of the throwing arm, the rate of rotation being, in practice, a constant.

rIhe control mechanism for the bell crank pin H3 comprises, as previously mentioned, a cam supportrplate 95 which surrounds the shaft 9| for support on the frame member ll by the block H9 which closely fits the shaft 9i thereby accurately centering the supporting plate. The other end of the support plate 99 carries an extension which may be adjustably clamped as at H5 to the circumferentially extending guard ring 86.

Pivotally mounted on the support plate 95 is a cam ring H9 having a central aperture M9 therein, this aperture being substantially larger than the diameter of the shaft 9| Ywhereby the cam plate H8 can be tilted with respect to the plate 98 without making contact with the shaft 9 i.

A portion of the cam plate is enlarged as at i2|, and with this arrangement thepin il@ engages the enlarged portion whenever the cam plate i8 is tilted tot the dotted line shown in Fig. 7. The enlargement |2| Vhas a curved approach and discharge portions |22 to provide a smooth acceleration for the bell crank 99.V

When the cam plate l i8 is in its lower position, the pin I3 does not make contact therewith and consequently the trap will not be fired,

The mechanism for elevating cam plate ||8 comprises the solenoid |23 connected to and exerting a tilted eect on a bell crank |24 having an arm |26 extending under the cam plate H8. When the solenoid is energized, the bell crank |24 and the arm are tilted to the dotted line position indicated. in Fig. '7, and when the solenoid is de-energized the weight of the cam plate H8, or suitable spring means, not shown, returns the cam plate to the full line position. The positive removal of the bell crank is an important part of my mechanism.

The cam portion |2| of the cam plate VH23 extends circumferentially of the shaft 9| for a distance sufficiently long to hold the cushion H2 out of engagement with the bird for a sufficientlength of time to allow the bird to move radially of the throwing arm 98 until it has cleared the cushion ||2. By varying the angular position of the cam approach portion i22, which is accomplished by the adjustment H5, the direction of firing may be controlled.

In controlling the operation of the above described magazine and throwing mechanism, it will be evident that the .operator can iirst energize the solenoid Zhi, thereby, through the jaw and trap door mechanism, delivering a bird to the throwing mechanism, then de-energize the solenoid 48, and at any subsequent time the solenoid 623, when actuated, will raise the cam plate H8 and the bell crank will be positively moved out of the way, no force created by the bird being relied on for movement of the bell crank, and release the bird which will be red from thc throwing arm a fraction of a revolution later, the size of the fraction depending upon the rate of rotation and the weight of the bird. I have iound that, for delivery oi the bird in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the arm member il, the cam plate 95 should engage the pin i i3 approximately 90 prior to the time the arm reaches the position it will occupy at the time the bird leaves it providing the arm is rotating at approximately 540 revolutions a minute and providing further that the distance between the position occupied by the bird when engaged by the cushion i l2 and the end channel strip IQB is not substantially greater than one and a half bird diameters, the distance being measured from the centers oi the two positions, these iigures applying to the type of target known as Blue-Rocks.

With the solenoid trap door mechanism above described, it will be noted that the solenoid 48 does not deposit the bird on the throwing arm 94 until after it has been deenergized. It is thus possible to operate the solenoid 23 and the solenoid i8 from a single switch, the closing of which will move the cam plate i i8 into the dotted line position shown exaggerately in Fig. 7, thus, as above described, releasing the bird so that it will be thrown from the machine. The closing of this single switch also will open the jaws 33 and move the trap doors 51 and 58 into operative position, but no bird will be dropped onto the throwing arm until the solenoid 48 is deenergized, at which time the throwing arm 94 is free to receive the next bird. There may be thus a single control means for both the delivery and the firing mechanisms.

One particular advantage of the throwing mechanism which I have described is that it is substantially self-cleaning, that is to say, being open to the air it will eject any particles oi birds which may result from fracturing. 'Ihis is accomplished, it will be noted, due to the fact that the conical portion 433 of the rubber block IUI tends to deflect towards the throwing arm any broken birds which may drop through. Should a portion of a broken bird lie adjacent to the conical portion H33 on the other side of the shaft 9| from the throwing arm, the next bird will, in its descent, engage this broken particle and it will be entrained outwardly with the succeeding bird, thus automatically removing broken sections, As contributing to this result, it will be noted the block Iii! is provided with a portion l2'l which extends across the path of movement of the bird and tends to maintain it substantially coplanar with the throwing arm without, however, having suicient length radially to permit jamming of broken parts.

It will be noted from an inspection of the above described mechanisms that the magazine is fixe-d in the main frame but that the throwing mechanism can be tilted about the axis running through pins 8|. The purpose 01' such tilting is to permit Variations in the angle with the horizontal made by the bird as it leaves the trap. With a xed magazine and a tiltable ring mechanism, and particularly when frangible articles such as the targets in question are to be handled, it is essential that the tilting of the ring mechanism shall entail no major change in the force with which the bird lands on the ring mechanism. For this reason the axis of the pivot 8l is substantially coincidental with the bottom of the bird as it emerges from the delivery mechanism. As a means of insuring proper and gentle positioning of the bird on the throwing arm, it will be noticed that the spring ngers 24 and 26 extend well below the delivery mechanism and into the conical cup formed in the block l0l. Thus even though the cup may be slightly moved when the ring mechanism is tilted about the pivots 8|, the spring fingers will tend to compensate for such movement and gently direct the bird onto the conical portion of the block.

In the magazine and iiring construction above described, it will be evident that the birds, as they pass through the end of the magazine, the jaws 33, and the trap doors, are actuated solely by the resilient fingers 24 and 26. In other words, the birds throughout this portion of their path of travel are yieldably held laterally, the extension of the springs 2li and 26 above the ends of the magazine rails Vl permitting the accomplishment of this result.

While I have herein described in some detail a specic embodiment of my invention, which I deem to be new and advantageous and may specifically claim, I do not desire it to be understood that my invention is limited to the exact details of the construction, as it will be apparent that changes may be made therein without,

departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a trap, a base having a magazine mounted thereon, a rotating throwing mechanism, and means for securing said mechanism to said base, said securing means being so constructed that the axis of rotation of said mechanism may be moved with respect to said magazine.

2. In a trap, a base, a vertical frame member carrying a magazine and mounted on said base, a link pivoted on said base, and a rotating throwing mechanism pivotally attached to said vertical member and movably secured to said link whereby to tilt the axis of the throwing mechanism and vary the angle of elevation of articles thrown thereby without changing the position of the magazinel 3. In a trap, a magazine having an article feeding mechanism associated therewith, a throwing arm and yieldable guide means extending between said magazine and said arm, said means forming the sole guide for articles during their passage through said feeding means.

4. In a target trap, a stationary magazine, a rotating throwing arm having means for retaining an article thereon in throwing position, and means for yieldably guiding an article from said magazine into throwing position on said arm, said means including a yieldable member extending across the arm and lying above said throwing position.

5. In a target trap, a rotating throwing arm having a hollow block mounted thereon, said block being formed of a resilient material and forming in cooperation with said arm a passageway for articles through said block, the top of said passageway being formed by the resilient material of said block, whereby to maintain a target substantially coplanar with the top of the throwing arm.

- 6. In a target trap, a magazine, a rotating throwing arm having a hollow article receiving cup thereon, means for feeding articles from said magazine through said cup into throwing position on said arm, and means for yieldably guiding articles through said feeding means to cushion impacts therefrom, said means including a plu` rality of members extending from said magazine into said cup.

7. In a target trap, a magazine, a rotating throwing arm having a hollow article receiving cup thereon, means for feeding articles from said magazine through said cup into throwing position on said arm, and means for yieldably guiding articles through said feeding means to cushion impacts therefrom, said means including a plurality of guide'members substantially equidistantly spaced around the path of movement of articles into said hollow cup. l

8. In a target trap, a stationary magazine, a rotating throwing arm having means for retaining an article thereon in throwing position, and means for yieldably guiding an article from said magazine into throwing position on said arm, said means including a yieldable member extending at least partially across the arm and lying n above said throwing position.

LAWRENCE H. CONNELL. 

